JP2023160501A - Carbon dioxide injection apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a carbon dioxide injection apparatus capable of easily detaching a container including carbon dioxide from a housing body.SOLUTION: A carbon dioxide injection apparatus 10 which injects carbon dioxide into a beverage container 12 provided inside a tower 14 comprises: a carbon dioxide cylinder 34 that is filled with carbon dioxide and supplies the carbon dioxide into the beverage container 12; a first magnetic valve 40 that is provided between the carbon dioxide cylinder 34 and the beverage container 12 and executes connection or cutoff between the carbon dioxide cylinder 34 and the beverage container 12; a second magnetic valve 44 that is connected to the beverage container 12 and is capable of releasing the carbon dioxide in the beverage container 12; and protective mechanisms 52, 56 that, before taking out the beverage container 12 from the tower 14, cutoff the first magnetic valve 40 and simultaneously actuate the second magnetic valve 44 to release the carbon dioxide in the beverage container 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Application for application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act Test location: Miyoshihachi (B1F, Shinbashi Ekimae Building No. 1, 2-20-15 Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo) Test date: October 13, 2021 [Publications] ] Test location: ITALIAN BAR BASIL (Castle Sakuragi 1F, 2-81 Nogecho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture) Test date: January 19, 2020

The present application relates to a carbon dioxide gas injection device.

There is a high demand for carbonated drinks because they provide a refreshing feeling when drinking them. In recent years, the demand for carbonated drinks with high gas volume to provide a stronger refreshing sensation and the growing health consciousness has led to a need for injecting carbonated water into drinking water. For this reason, restaurants and other establishments are installing devices that can inject carbonic acid into beverages served to customers, as well as beverage containers pre-filled with carbonic acid, to create small-sized beverages that can be served right before the customer to prevent the gas volume from decreasing. The need for dispensers and the like is increasing.

Patent Document 1 discloses a beverage dispenser that is configured in a small size so that beverages can be dispensed on a tabletop, and that can release internal pressurized gas to the outside when an outer lid is removed. However, in the beverage dispenser described in Patent Document 1, the beverage container can be replaced after going through a series of steps such as releasing the gas inside the container, pulling up the operating section, and removing the outer lid. When a large amount of beverages are consumed in a restaurant or the like, it is necessary to repeat this process frequently, which reduces work efficiency. Therefore, there is room for improvement in terms of being able to safely vent the gas and easily removing the beverage container from the main body.

JP2017-77908A

In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a carbon dioxide injection device that allows a container containing carbon dioxide gas to be easily removed from a housing.

One aspect of the present disclosure is a carbon dioxide gas injection device that injects carbon dioxide gas into a container disposed inside a housing, which includes a gas supply source that is filled with carbon dioxide gas and supplies carbon dioxide gas to the container, and a gas supply source that supplies carbon dioxide gas to the container. a first opening/closing mechanism disposed between the gas supply source and the container and connecting or disconnecting between the gas supply source and the container; a second opening/closing mechanism connected to the container and capable of opening carbon dioxide gas inside the container; This carbon dioxide injection device includes a protection mechanism that shuts off the first opening/closing mechanism and activates the second opening/closing mechanism to release carbon dioxide gas inside the container before taking out the container from the housing.

Furthermore, as another aspect of the present disclosure, the protection mechanism includes a cover part that is disposed on the outer periphery of the housing at a position facing the container disposed inside the housing and that can be opened and closed to take the container in and out. , a switch section that is turned on and off in conjunction with opening and closing of the cover section, and that enables switching between connecting and disconnecting the first opening/closing mechanism and switching between stopping and activating the second opening/closing mechanism. It may be composed of.

Further, as another aspect of the present disclosure, an operation for operating the first opening/closing mechanism to supply carbon dioxide gas from the gas supply source to the container while the cover portion is closed, and stopping the second opening/closing mechanism. It may also include a section.

Additionally, in other aspects of the present disclosure, the container may be a beverage container.

According to the carbon dioxide gas injection device according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the container is connected to the first opening/closing mechanism and the second opening/closing mechanism and is arranged inside the housing. Therefore, the container can be taken out from the housing by disconnecting the container from the first opening/closing mechanism and the second opening/closing mechanism. Further, the carbon dioxide gas injection device is equipped with a protection mechanism, and the protection mechanism shuts off a first opening/closing mechanism disposed between the gas supply source and the container and a second opening/closing mechanism before removing the container from the housing. The opening/closing mechanism can be operated to release the carbon dioxide gas inside the container. Therefore, before taking out the container from the housing, it is possible to cut off the supply of carbon dioxide gas and release the pressure inside the container. This allows the container to be safely and easily removed from the housing.

Further, according to the carbon dioxide gas injection device according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the protection mechanism is disposed at a position facing the container disposed inside the housing in the outer peripheral portion of the housing, and the protection mechanism is opened and closed to take out the container. It is configured to include a cover part that can be opened and closed, and a switch part that is turned on and off in conjunction with opening and closing of the cover part. Therefore, in order to take out the container from the housing, it is necessary to open the cover part, and by opening the cover part, the switch part is turned on and off, making it possible to switch between connecting and disconnecting the first opening/closing mechanism, and also It is possible to switch between stopping and operating the opening/closing mechanism. This makes it possible to cut off the supply of carbon dioxide gas and release the pressure inside the container before taking the container out of the casing, allowing the container to be safely and easily removed from the casing.

Further, the carbon dioxide injection device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an operation section for operating the first opening/closing mechanism and stopping the second opening/closing mechanism when the cover section is closed. Therefore, when the cover is closed, the second opening/closing mechanism is stopped by the user operating the operating section, and the first opening/closing mechanism is activated to connect the gas supply source and the container. Carbon dioxide gas can be supplied to the container from the gas supply source. Thereby, carbon dioxide gas can be safely and easily supplied to the container.

Furthermore, according to the carbon dioxide injection device according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the container may be a beverage container. Therefore, even when a large amount of beverages are consumed at a restaurant or the like, the beverage container can be safely degassed, and the beverage container can be easily removed from the housing.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a carbon dioxide injection device according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the carbon dioxide injection device taken along line 2-2 in FIG. FIG. 3 shows a rear view of the inside of the carbon dioxide injection device. FIG. 4 shows a front perspective view of the cover part. FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the cover portion taken along line 5-5 in FIG.

Hereinafter, a carbon dioxide gas injection device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. In order to facilitate understanding, the scale of figures may be changed for explanation.

FIG. 1 shows, as an example, a perspective view of a carbon dioxide gas injection device 10 for injecting carbon dioxide gas into a beverage (not shown) housed in a beverage container 12 serving as a container to provide a beverage. The carbon dioxide gas injection device 10 includes a beverage container 12 and a tower 14 serving as a housing for disposing the beverage container 12 inside and providing a beverage. A beverage dispensing nozzle 16 for dispensing the beverage contained in the beverage container 12 is attached to the upper side of the beverage container 12. Therefore, by opening and closing the beverage dispensing nozzle 16, the beverage can be poured into a glass or the like (not shown) disposed below the beverage dispensing nozzle 16 and provided.

2 and 3 show a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the carbon dioxide injection device 10 and a rear view of its interior. The beverage container 12 is disposed on the front side of the tower 14 and is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape having an opening 18 at the upper end. For this reason, inside the beverage container 12, a housing portion 20 for housing the beverage is formed. Further, the outer surface and bottom surface of the beverage container 12 are covered with a heat insulating material 22. A disc-shaped lid 24 is disposed at the opening 18 of the beverage container 12 so as to close the opening 18, and the lid 24 is removably fixed by a clamp 26. Thereby, the beverage container 12 containing the beverage can be sealed.

A beverage suction pipe 28 is disposed in the storage portion 20 and extends along the inner circumference of the storage portion 20 in the longitudinal direction of the storage portion 20, that is, in the vertical direction. The beverage suction pipe 28 is bent so that its upper side penetrates the side of the storage portion 20 and projects outward, and the upper end that projects outward is connected to the beverage dispensing nozzle 16. ing. Therefore, the beverage sucked up from the beverage suction pipe 28 in the storage section 20 can be poured out from the beverage pouring nozzle 16.

A carbon dioxide injection pipe 30 is disposed in the storage section 20 of the beverage container 12, which is attached to the lid section 24 and is used to inject carbon dioxide gas into the beverage inside the storage section 20. The carbonation injection pipe 30 is arranged to penetrate through the center of the lid part 24, and is formed so as to extend along the length direction of the beverage container 12, that is, the vertical direction when it is arranged in the storage part 20. A nozzle 32 is attached to the end on the accommodating portion 20 side. Further, the upper end, which is the other end of the carbon dioxide injection pipe 30, is connected to a carbon dioxide gas cylinder 34 as a gas supply source, and the nozzle 32 disposed on the bottom side of the storage section 20 is connected to the carbon dioxide gas cylinder 34 as a gas supply source. The carbon dioxide gas filled in the carbon dioxide gas cylinder 34 can be injected into the beverage in the container 20.

A baffle plate 36 is attached to the carbonation injection pipe 30 to prevent ice from floating when ice (not shown) is stored in the storage section 20 to cool the beverage. The baffle plate 36 is arranged at a predetermined position in the length direction of the carbon dioxide injection tube 30.

A coupler 38 as a joint is attached to the upper end of the carbon dioxide injection pipe 30 that extends to the upper side of the lid part 24. Further, the upper end of the carbon dioxide injection pipe 30 to which the coupler 38 is attached is connected to a pipe PP to which a plug or socket corresponding to the socket or plug of the coupler 38 is attached. Therefore, the connection between the carbonic acid injection pipe 30 and the piping PP can be easily released, and the beverage container 12 to which the carbonic acid injection pipe 30 is attached can be easily removed from the tower 14. A plurality of pipes PP are further connected to the pipe PP connected to the upper end of the carbon dioxide injection pipe 30, and extend from the upper side to the lower side of the beverage container 12 on the back side of the carbon dioxide gas injection device 10. Although the coupler 38 is used here as a joint, the present invention is not limited to this, and other types of joints such as couplings and flanges may be used.

A first solenoid valve 40 as a first opening/closing mechanism is arranged at the bottom of the back side of the carbon dioxide injection device 10. The first electromagnetic valve 40 is connected to a pipe PP connected to the carbon dioxide injection pipe 30, and is also connected to the carbon dioxide gas cylinder 34. Therefore, by opening the first solenoid valve 40, the carbon dioxide gas filled in the carbon dioxide gas cylinder 34 can be supplied to the beverage container 12 via the first solenoid valve 40 and the nozzle 32 of the carbon dioxide injection pipe 30. I can do it.

A pressure relief pipe 42 is attached to the lid 24 of the beverage container 12 so as to pass through the lid 24 for exhausting, that is, reducing the pressure inside the accommodating portion 20 . The upper end of the exhaust pressure pipe 42 is connected to the pipe PP via the coupler 38. A plurality of pipes PP are further connected to the pipe PP connected to the upper end of the exhaust pressure pipe 42, and extend from the upper side to the lower side of the beverage container 12 on the back side of the carbon dioxide gas injection device 10.

Two second electromagnetic valves 44 as a second opening/closing mechanism are arranged at the bottom of the back side of the carbon dioxide injection device 10. The second electromagnetic valve 44 is connected to a pipe PP connected to the exhaust pressure pipe 42. Further, the second solenoid valve 44 is connected to a silencer 46 connected to an end thereof via a pipe PP. Therefore, by opening the second solenoid valve 44, the pressure within the housing portion 20 can be released, that is, exhausted, via the second solenoid valve 44 and the silencer 46. Moreover, since the pressure in the exhaust pressure pipe 42 can be exhausted via the silencer 46, it is possible to suppress, that is, muffle, noise generated due to the rapid flow of air when the pressure is exhausted. Note that although the description will be made here assuming that two second solenoid valves 44 are provided, the present invention is not limited to this, and only one second solenoid valve may be provided.

As shown in FIG. 4, an operation panel 48 serving as an operation section is attached to the upper part of the front side of the tower 14. As shown in FIG. 3, the operation panel 48 is electrically connected to a substrate section 50 disposed on the back side of the carbon dioxide injection device 10 via a cable C1. Further, the beverage pouring nozzle 16 is electrically connected to the substrate section 50 via a cable (not shown). Therefore, the user can actuate the beverage dispensing nozzle 16 by operating or pressing the push button on the operation panel 48, and the beverage in the beverage container 12 can be dispensed from the beverage dispensing nozzle 16. Further, as will be described later, by pressing a push button on the operation panel 48, the user can close the second solenoid valve 44 to maintain the pressure inside the housing section 20, and open the first solenoid valve 40. The carbon dioxide gas filled in the carbon dioxide gas cylinder 34 can be supplied to the beverage container 12. Although FIG. 4 shows a push button for operating the operation panel 48, the operation panel as an operation unit may be operated by other means such as a switch, a non-contact sensor, etc. It's okay.

As shown in FIG. 4, protection mechanisms 52 and 56 are configured below the operation panel 48 of the tower 14. Specifically, it is configured to include a cover 52 as a cover part, a fixing claw 54, and a switch part 56. A cover 52 formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the front is attached to the lower side of the operation panel 48 of the tower 14 so as to be openable and closable. The cover 52 is configured to be rotatable toward the front side of the carbon dioxide gas injection device 10 around a rotation axis S1 (see FIG. 5) along the width direction of the tower 14, thereby opening and closing the cover 52. I can do it.

The cover 52 is attached to the tower 14 at a position where it overlaps the upper ends of the carbon dioxide injection pipe 30 and the exhaust pressure pipe 42 when viewed from the front in the closed state, that is, at a position where these are no longer visible from the outside of the carbon dioxide injection device 10. . As a result, the portion where the carbon dioxide injection pipe 30, the exhaust pressure pipe 42, and the pipe PP are connected via the coupler 38 (see FIG. 3) becomes invisible from the outside of the carbon dioxide gas injection device 10, and the beverage container 12 is attached. The aesthetic appearance of the carbon dioxide gas injection device 10 can be improved. Further, the cover 52 can serve as a protective wall to prevent the user from accidentally touching the portion connected by the coupler 38.

As shown in FIG. 5, a fixing claw 54 is formed on the front end side of the back surface of the cover 52, that is, on the lower end side when closed. A switch portion 56 is disposed inside the tower 14 at a portion that comes into contact with the fixed claw 54 when the cover 52 is closed.

The switch section 56 includes a switch body 56a, a push button 56b, and a lever 56c. As shown in FIG. 3, the switch main body 56a is configured to be electrically connectable to the board section 50 via a cable C2. Further, the substrate section 50 is configured to be electrically connectable to the first electromagnetic valve 40 via the cable C3. Therefore, by turning the switch section 56 on and off, the first electromagnetic valve 40 can be opened and closed, and the carbon dioxide gas in the carbon dioxide cylinder 34 can be passed through and blocked. Specifically, when the switch section 56 is turned off, the first electromagnetic valve 40 is closed by electrically cutting off the substrate section 50. Further, when the switch section 56 is turned on, it is electrically connected to the substrate section 50 to bring the first solenoid valve 40 into an openable state, that is, a state where carbon dioxide gas can be supplied to the beverage container 12. Further, the substrate section 50 is electrically connected to the second electromagnetic valve 44 via a cable C4. Therefore, when the switch section 56 is turned off, the second electromagnetic valve 44 is opened by electrically disconnecting from the substrate section 50, and the pressure inside the beverage container 12 is exhausted. Furthermore, when the switch section 56 is turned on, it is electrically connected to the substrate section 50 to bring the second electromagnetic valve 44 into a state where it can be closed, that is, a state where the pressure inside the beverage container 12 can be maintained. Therefore, when the switch part 56 is turned on by closing the cover 52, the second electromagnetic valve 44 is closed by the user pressing the push button on the operation panel 48 to maintain the pressure inside the housing part 20. At the same time, the first electromagnetic valve 40 is opened and the carbon dioxide gas filled in the carbon dioxide gas cylinder 34 can be supplied to the beverage container 12.

As shown in FIG. 5, the switch unit 56 can be turned on by pressing a push button 56b arranged on the front side of the switch body 56a, and is turned off when it is not pressed. is configured to be. A lever 56c is attached above the push button 56b of the switch body 56a. The upper end of the lever 56c is attached to the switch body 56a via a torsion spring (not shown). Therefore, the carbon dioxide injection device 10 is biased toward the front side with the upper end attached to the switch body 56a as the center of rotation (dotted chain line in FIG. 5). The lever 56c extends to a position facing the fixed claw 54 when the cover 52 is closed, and the lever 56c is directed toward the inside of the carbon dioxide injection device 10 by the fixed claw 54 when the cover 52 is closed. It can be pressed. As a result, the pressed lever 56c presses the push button 56b, so that the switch section 56 can be turned on.

Next, the functions and effects of the carbon dioxide injection device 10 according to this embodiment will be described below.

According to the carbon dioxide gas injection device 10 according to the present embodiment, the beverage container 12 is connected to the first solenoid valve 40 and the second solenoid valve 44 and arranged inside the tower 14 . Therefore, the beverage container 12 can be taken out from the tower 14 by disconnecting the beverage container 12 from the first solenoid valve 40 and the second solenoid valve 44 . Further, the carbon dioxide gas injection device 10 includes a cover 52, a fixing claw 54, and a switch portion 56 as a protection mechanism. Therefore, before the beverage container 12 is disconnected from the first solenoid valve 40 and the second solenoid valve 44 by opening and closing the cover 52 and the beverage container 12 is taken out from the tower 14, the carbon dioxide gas cylinder 34 and the beverage container 12 are connected. The pressure inside the beverage container 12 can be released by shutting off the first solenoid valve 40 disposed between them and activating the second solenoid valve 44 . Therefore, before taking out the beverage container 12 from the tower 14, the supply of carbon dioxide gas can be cut off and the pressure inside the beverage container 12 can be exhausted. Thereby, the beverage container 12 can be removed from the tower 14 safely and easily.

Furthermore, the carbon dioxide gas injection device 10 according to the present embodiment is arranged at a position facing the beverage container 12 arranged inside the tower 14 on the outer peripheral part of the tower 14, and has a cover that can be opened and closed in order to take out the beverage container 12. 52, and a switch section 56 that is turned on and off in conjunction with opening and closing of the cover 52. Therefore, in order to take out the beverage container 12 from the tower 14, it is necessary to open the cover 52. By opening the cover 52, the switch part 56 is turned on and off, and the first electromagnetic valve 40 is connected and disconnected. The two solenoid valves 44 can be switched between stop and operation. Thereby, before taking out the beverage container 12 from the tower 14, the supply of carbon dioxide gas can be cut off and the pressure inside the beverage container 12 can be released, and the beverage container 12 can be safely and easily removed from the tower 14. can.

Further, according to the carbon dioxide injection device 10 according to the present embodiment, the carbon dioxide injection pipe 30 and the exhaust pressure pipe 42 attached to the beverage container 12 are connected to the pipe PP in the tower 14 via the coupler 38. Therefore, the beverage container 12 can be easily attached to and removed from the tower 14 by simply connecting or disconnecting the coupler 38. .

Furthermore, according to the carbon dioxide injection device 10 according to the present embodiment, when the switch section 56 is turned on by closing the cover 52, the first electromagnetic valve 40 is brought into an openable state, and the second The solenoid valve 44 is brought into a closeable state. In this state, when the user presses the push button on the operation panel 48, the second electromagnetic valve 44 is closed to maintain the pressure inside the housing section 20, and the first electromagnetic valve 40 is opened to hold the carbon dioxide gas cylinder 34. can be supplied to the beverage container 12. In this way, carbon dioxide gas can be supplied to the beverage container 12 only when the user presses the push button on the operation panel 48, so carbon dioxide gas can be safely and easily supplied to the container.

Further, a beverage container 12 can be attached to the carbon dioxide gas injection device 10 according to this embodiment. Therefore, even when a large amount of beverage is consumed at a restaurant or the like, gas can be safely vented and the beverage container 12 can be easily removed from the tower 14.

As described above, according to the carbon dioxide injection device 10 according to the present embodiment, the beverage container 12 can be easily removed from the tower 14.

Further, according to the carbon dioxide injection device 10 according to the present embodiment, when the cover 52 is in a closed state, the carbon dioxide injection pipe 30 and the exhaust pressure pipe 42 are connected to the pipe PP via the coupler 38 when viewed from the front. It is attached to the tower 14 at a position such that the portion is not visible from the outside of the carbon dioxide injection device 10. Thereby, the appearance of the carbon dioxide gas injection device 10 to which the beverage container 12 is attached can be improved. Further, the cover 52 can serve as a protective wall to prevent the user from accidentally touching the portion connected by the coupler 38. Further, the cover 52 can serve as a protective wall in the event that the coupler 38 is accidentally detached due to some mechanical cause and the beverage or carbon dioxide gas in the beverage container 12 is spewed out.

Although the embodiment of the carbon dioxide injection device 10 has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various variations of the embodiments described above are possible.

Although the protection mechanism has been described here as including the cover 52, the fixing claw 54, and the switch section 56, the protection mechanism is not limited thereto. The protection mechanism may be configured in various ways, including push-button switches placed in the tower, switches connected to ultrasonic sensors, laser sensors, etc. placed in the tower to monitor container movement. good.

10 Carbon dioxide gas injection device 12 Beverage container 14 Tower (casing)
34 Carbon dioxide gas cylinder (gas supply source)
40 First solenoid valve (first opening/closing mechanism)
44 Second solenoid valve (second opening/closing mechanism)
48 Operation panel (operation unit)
52 Cover (cover part, protection mechanism)
54 Fixed claw (cover part, protection mechanism)
56 Switch part (protective mechanism)

Claims (4)

A carbon dioxide gas injection device that injects carbon dioxide gas into a container placed inside a housing,
a gas supply source filled with carbon dioxide gas and supplying carbon dioxide gas to the container;
a first opening/closing mechanism that is disposed between the gas supply source and the container and connects or disconnects between the gas supply source and the container;
a second opening/closing mechanism connected to the container and capable of opening carbon dioxide gas inside the container;
a protection mechanism that shuts off the first opening/closing mechanism and activates the second opening/closing mechanism to release carbon dioxide gas inside the container before taking out the container from the housing;
Carbon dioxide injection device equipped with. The protection mechanism is
a cover portion disposed on the outer circumferential portion of the casing at a position facing the container disposed inside the casing and capable of being opened and closed in order to take in and take out the container;
a switch section that is turned on and off in conjunction with opening and closing of the cover section, and that enables switching between connection and disconnection of the first opening/closing mechanism and switching between stopping and operating the second opening/closing mechanism; The carbon dioxide injection device according to claim 1, comprising: 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising an operating section for operating the first opening/closing mechanism to supply carbon dioxide gas from the gas supply source to the container while the cover section is closed, and for stopping the second opening/closing mechanism. 2. The carbon dioxide gas injection device according to 2. The carbon dioxide injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the container is a beverage container.

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